To become a certified teacher in New York, you will need to fulfill all prerequisite coursework, teacher preparation, and testing requirements.

Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible, and we are dedicated to updating the site with new information on a regular basis. To stay up-to-date with the latest in teacher certification, please complete the form in the right sidebar.

Certification Requirements

All states require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education to become a certified teacher. Additionally, New York State requires teachers to obtain a master’s degree in teaching (or a related discipline) within five years of the completion of their initial degree.

New York Teacher Prerequisite Coursework

All states require that certified teachers at a minimum have a Bachelor’s degree. Additionally, some states have undergraduate credit hour requirements for certification in specialty areas. Here are New York’s undergraduate prerequisites for some of the most popular specialty areas:

New York Teacher Preparation

Teacher preparation includes the completion of an accredited teacher education program. Please visit the New York State Department of Education’s Inventory of Registered Programs for a list of accredited teacher preparation programs near you.

Typically teacher education programs consist of a combination of curricula and fieldwork. The curricula often includes instruction on foundational knowledge and skills, pedagogy (or the art and science of teaching), and preparing students to research, design and implement learning experiences in their field of study. The fieldwork component can include field observations, student teaching, and an internship.

While the involvement in an education program may seem financially daunting, a number of financial resources specifically for teachers exist around the country. For more information on this, visit our page on scholarships for teachers. For more scholarships for teachers exclusive to the State of New York, visit our New York Teacher Scholarships page.

New York Required Tests

NYSTCE Tests

The New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) program provides the following tests to assess potential teaching candidates’ knowledge and skills regarding content, theory and practice. Testing requirements vary depending on one’s desired certification(s).

New York Teacher Salary

Incentives to teach in high-needs schools or shortage subject areas: New York provides differential pay support for teachers teaching in high needs schools and teachers teaching in shortage subject areas

Policies in place that articulate elements of effective induction: New York has strong induction policies in place

Average Elementary Teacher Salary: $67,940

Average Secondary Teacher Salary: $70,400

Teacher Salary vs. State Average Salary: The average teacher in New York makes 133% of the salary of the average worker in New York

Applying for Certification

The New York State Department of Education’s TEACH System provides those pursuing a teaching degree with a one-stop shop to complete all required certification documents related to fingerprinting, paperwork and other miscellaneous applications.

Fingerprinting

The New York State Department of Education offers teaching candidates a comprehensive guide to fingerprinting, outlining the process to obtain fingerprint clearance in New York State.

Teaching Jobs in New York

The Online Application System for Educators (commonly referred to as OLAS) is an online-based application system for school districts throughout regions of New York state. The following regions in New York state operate under OLAS’s teacher application system:

Capital Region

Central Region

Northern

Long Island

Lower Hudson

Mid-Hudson

Mohawk Valley

Southern

Western

Central

Using this online portal, applicants upload their personal information, résumé, cover letter and professional reference(s). This service allows applicants to apply for current jobs within their desired New York state region, and also allows school districts to view applicants’ information. OLAS job opportunities are updated weekly and include positions for paraprofessionals, teaching assistants and substitute teachers. This service is free to applicants.

TeachNYC is the online portal and application system for the New York City Public School District. TeachNYC is only for full-time teaching positions, and does not include employment opportunities for teaching assistants, paraprofessionals or substitute teachers. TeachNYC has a rigorous application process, and requires the following information before submission:

Professional background details, including past employers, dates and contact information

Academic history and GPA

List of professional references, including names, addresses, relationship and contact information

Current copy of résumé

Certification documents

Sample lesson plan(s)

Responses to four writing prompts

TeachNYC provides you with the writing prompts before beginning your application to ensure thoughtful and thorough responses.

Describe your most important accomplishment in the classroom or with a specific student(s). What key strategies contributed to your success? How did you track your progress to ensure that you were successful? (200-400 words)

You are a teacher in NYC Public School 123. Your principal observed you teach a whole class lesson to a group of 25 students and provided the following feedback via email:

Three-quarters of the students were attentive and raised their hands in response to your warm-up activity. Students in the back row were passing notes during the lesson introduction and directions for independent time. Four out of five of your ELL students were doodling in their notebook during the independent work time. At the end of the lesson, only half of the students successfully completed the task.. At the lesson closing, nearly all the students wrote down the homework assignment and followed your instructions for transition to the next class.

Describe how you establish instructional expectations for your students. Be sure to address the following in your description (200-400 words):

What key factors are considered when establishing these expectations? How are these expectations communicated to your students?

How would you promote these expectations during instructional time?

Describe the objective of your attached lesson plan and explain why you chose this as your objective. How did your instructional strategies address students with varied learning needs and modalities? How did you know that your students met the objective of your lesson? (200-400 words)

Got a genius idea for a field trip? Here’s how to take it from an idea to a memorable experience for your students. Get approval Much like applying for a grant, you need to know where a trip fits into your curriculum to get approval from your school’s principal or administrator. Maybe a visit to […]